Ethnoecology of natural environment in trans-himalayan region of west Nepal

The present study was conducted during a period of two years from 2001 to 2003 in trans-Himalayan region from Mustang to Dolpa region of west Nepal. The indigenous people were found to be rich in ethnoecological knowledge regarding environment and plant resources. The locals catagorised six types of ecological land patterns such as Nakri (forest land), Penhri or pangri or Thakri or dakri (land pattern), Sim (marshy place or wetland), Lung (agricultural land) and Khangri (Snowy land). The people also had the knowledge of plants in population level and species level and had their own way of classifying them on the basis of different criteria like presence or absence of flower, habit, habitat, morphology, etc. Key Words: Ethnobotany; Indigenous knowledge; Folk nomenclature; Folk classification Banko Janakari Vol.15(2) 2005 pp13-18